NBA legend Michael Jordan, the majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, is reportedly leading a band of owners who believe that a 50/50 split of Basketball-Related Income is too much for the owners to give up.

The owners’ faction includes between 10 and 14 owners and is being led by Charlotte’s Michael Jordan, according to a person who has spoken with the owners. That group wanted the players’ share set no higher than 47 percent, and it was upset when league negotiators proposed a 50-50 split last month.

According to the person who spoke with the owners, Jordan’s faction intends to vote against the 50-50 deal, if negotiations get that far. Saturday’s owners meeting was arranged in part to address that concern.

A majority of the 29 owners are believed to support a 50-50 deal, but they are reluctant to move further. “There’s no one who’s interested in going above 50 percent,” said the person who has spoken with the owners.

Assuming the report's accurary, it's a fairly stunning about-face for Jordan. In 1998, just 13 years ago, Jordan famously told Abe Pollin, then owner of the Washington Wizards, that he should sell his team if he can't make a profit, rather than take a "hard stand" against the players. Fourteen years later, with the situation reversed, Jordan now so embodies hard-line ownership that he has become the group's public face.

Removing Jordan from this equation, you don't have to read too far between the lines to see what's happening.

This is the ownership's response to the idea that the threat of decertification might serve as leverage to improve the owners' offer to players during Saturday's negotiating session. It produces a clear choice for the players: Take a 50/50 split, which you say that you don't want, because it will be the best offer made, period. And, please, consider the fact that there is a large, vocal minority pushing the offer back the other direction if you decide not to accept it. In other words, this information attempts to incentivize the players to cave now rather than to cave later. It appeals to any insecurity they might have about the direction of the negotiations, presents 50/50 as a reasonable alternative to the season-spiking chaos that goes along with decertification, and attempts to extinguish any hope that 52.5 percent, or even 51 percent, is a future possibility.

That Jordan has become the front man for all of this could very well end up taking some of the luster off his pristine reputation as the years pass. Or, it could get swept under the rug like many of his other transgressions. His motiviations are clear enough. the Bobcats struggle to win games, struggle to sell tickets and struggle to generate revenue. They can make a better case than most teams that the NBA's current model is broken.

But the Bobcats' struggles will be lost in the shadow that Jordan's legend inevitably casts over everything in his vicinity. Each individual NBA player -- whether he's attended regional meetings, negotiating sessions, or not -- must now process the fact that the man many of them hold up as an idol on the court now clearly sits on the other side of the room in the current labor battle.

It's one thing to negotiate against NBA commissioner David Stern. It's quite another to know that Stern is the good guy trying to hold the greatest to ever lace them up in check. You couldn't blame NBA players if they felt deflated after reading this. Negotiating against lawyers is bad enough. Negotiating against your hero is damn near impossible.

Michael Jordan leads NBA owners: 50/50 too much

Michael Jordan isn't even one of the board members. All he has is his opinion. He can get as many owners as he wants behind him, but it all comes down to what the board says. This article is just an easy Jab at MJ. He was trying to be a business man when he told the owner of the Wizards he should sell, and hes trying to be a business man now that hes an owner. ANYBODY in his position would do the same.

Since: Oct 1, 2006

Posted on: November 4, 2011 3:31 pm

Michael Jordan leads NBA owners: 50/50 too much

If you are a season ticket holder, you should get your money back, along with a couple hundred in concessions, if your teams wins the title...Perhaps 2nd place should get half their money back, ect.....

What else do fans really get accept to yell---yay!!!!! The days of 'loyalty for no reason' are mostly over.....The days of me going to an NBA game and paying anything have been over or years...

Incentive is needed to be a ticket holder. If this report is correct, it almost guarantees no done deal, unless the players swallow their huge egos...We know that's not going to happen..

Since: Jan 17, 2008

Posted on: November 4, 2011 3:28 pm

Michael Jordan leads NBA owners: 50/50 too much

"Each individual NBA player -- whether he's attended regional meetings, negotiating sessions, or not -- must now process the fact that the man many of them hold up as an idol on the court now clearly sits on the other side of the room in the current labor battle. "

Look, Michael Jordan has always been interested in personal success. He worked his butt off to be as good of a player as he could be and now he is doing the same as an NBA franchise owner. He was always willing to say what had to be said to teammates, no matter how uncomfortable, for the betterment of his team. He is doing the same now.

The fact that his former life and his current life are on opposite sides of the issue is totally inconsequential. Current players should have no problem with that at all. He doesn't care about them, he cares about his own success, as he should.

Since: Nov 4, 2011

Posted on: November 4, 2011 3:26 pm

Michael Jordan leads NBA owners: 50/50 too much

Jordan is right! The players in the NFL make 60%. That is in a league where there are more than 50 players to a roster and a $9 billion profit. An NBA roster has 11 suited plus a couple for injuries. PLUS, 22 teams arent even making a profit. That's all there is to it. 40% for players is more than fair if it were up to me.

Since: Oct 14, 2010

Posted on: November 4, 2011 3:21 pm

Michael Jordan leads NBA owners: 50/50 too much

The boys are on the right track even though we are using Rick Perry math. 45 - 45 - 10% back to the fans through lower ticket prices. 40% owners, 40% players, 20% reduced gouging of fans is a good step. There is no reason on earth to continue placing such a high value on the basketball skills of a few individuals. People are out of work, we are creating a fraction of the new jobs we need each month, are the owners and the players don't wish to donwsize their millionaire/billionaire lifestyles. Time for the fans to put our foot down. When the NBA resumes, wouldn't it be great if fans went to the ticket windows and told the person at the counter what the fan wanted to pay? Keep doing that until the owner lowers the price. Boycott the arenas until the fan is valued!

Since: Nov 20, 2007

Posted on: November 4, 2011 3:15 pm

Michael Jordan leads NBA owners: 50/50 too much

sgeary, your math is a little off. that's 90%. where does the other 10% go? do you mean 20% (10 for lower tix and 10 for cheaper beer). if you ask for cheaper beer at the arena, you just might get it. i'm sure china has some breweries that wouldn't mind getting into the game. be careful of what you ask for.

Since: Jan 20, 2009

Posted on: November 4, 2011 3:13 pm

Michael Jordan leads NBA owners: 50/50 too much

I'm not trying to be Mr. Math Teacher here, but a 40-40-10 split is 90%. Who gets the other 10%?

Since: Feb 8, 2008

Posted on: November 4, 2011 3:10 pm

Michael Jordan leads NBA owners: 50/50 too much

Finally, a deal that everyone should agree on.

Since: Oct 11, 2007

Posted on: November 4, 2011 3:09 pm

Michael Jordan leads NBA owners: 50/50 too much

40+40+10=90%. I like the idea though.

Since: Dec 30, 2007

Posted on: November 4, 2011 3:05 pm

Michael Jordan leads NBA owners: 50/50 too much

My proposal: 40-40-10. 40 for the players, 40 for the owners, 10 percent back to the fans via lower ticket prices and beer prices!